Friendship
by TiPoLover 22
Summary: This is a story full of oneshots leading up to KFP2. It'll be about Po's and Tigress' growing friendship. At the most, it will be 7 chapters. At the least, it will be 4. There will be no TiPo, much to my own disappointment.
1. Beginning

It was a normal day in the Valley of Peace. Some houses were still under construction, including the Jade Palace, after the fight between Po and Tai-lung. Tigress was having trouble opening up to the panda. She was the most embarrassed after the fight. She felt like going back in time just to stop herself from saying those words to him. She still didn't eat his noodles, still didn't call him by his name, and still didn't talk to him like a friend like everyone else did.

But she was going to change that. Today she would make a friend of him.

She walked in to the kitchen to see Po working on some noodles for lunch, just as she hoped he would be. "Hello, Dragon Warrior," she said startling him. He jumped and the ladle flew out of his hand towards Tigress. She caught it effortlessly. "I'm sorry to have startled you." She handed him the ladle.

"It's alright, really. I was just working on lunch," he said trying not to disappoint his idol. "So, what brings you here?"

"I was just wondering if I could help?" This was a lot harder than she had imagined. She really didn't have conversations until now. They were usually with Shifu and how he had acted over the years as a father. They were closer than ever now. But the panda was a different story. She said words she couldn't take back. And even though she knew he was a nice, happy panda, she didn't know if he would forgive her.

"Y-you want to help _me_?" He asked. He noticed that Tigress usually avoided him. He thought maybe she was still mad at him for being chosen as the Dragon Warrior. During his spare time he would try to find her so they could talk, but he never could.

Tigress had known about the searches but still stayed hidden. Which was why she was confused. Here she was now, willing to talk to him, and he was nervous. "Is that a problem?"

"No, no. It's just... You don't usually talk to me let alone help me."

"Mm. Yes... I am well aware of this, Dragon Warrior and I am sorry for ignoring you."

"Also, lunch is done." She smelled the aroma and it smelled good. Just like every other time when he asked if she wanted some. And she had rejected. But not this time.

"We should have lunch together. You know, before the others come." Po dropped the ladle. Tigress smiled at the silliness of it.

"Uh.. Um.. Ok." He smiled something huge. He was finally going to have lunch with his idol, his favorite Kung Fu Master. Tigress watched as he poured a bowl for himself. "What would you like," he asked, knowing she didn't eat his noodles.

"Same as you." Po had to restrain himself from dropping the bowl. He put his bowl down and poured her one. Then they both sat down. Tigress noticed Po was staring at her. "Is there something on my face," she asked.

"No, I'm just waiting for you to take your first bite." She nodded then took a bite. Her eyes widened in surprise. This was amazing! How could she not have eaten this before. "So, what do you think? Amazing, right?"

"No," she replied shortly. "It is, how you would say, Awesome." Po smiled. She actually liked it! "Thank you... Po." She had finally said his name. It felt right to say it. She smiled. She could tell Po felt differently for his happy face turned to shock. Then he fainted. "Po!" She yelled as he fell off his chair. "Po?" He didn't answer. 'Did he just faint,' she thought. 'Because I said his name?' It was the silliest thing. A normal person would have laughed out loud. But surely a person who has mastered the art of concealing her feelings wouldn't. Or so she thought. She first let out a short "Ha." Then, out of nowhere, she giggled. Finally, she just straight up laughed.

The other four were walking to the Kitchen when they heard an unfamiliar sound. They all knew it was laughter but it wasn't one of theirs. Po and Tigress were the only one's not with them but the laugh obviously wasn't a man's and Tigress didn't laugh. "Mantis, is one of your girlfriends here," asked Monkey.

"What do you mean 'one of.' I only have one," Mantis replied.

"What if it's an intruder," said Crane.

"Or maybe a friend of Po's," said Viper. "He's a really charming guy. it wouldn't be hard for him to gat a date." They all had to agree that. His innocence made him amazingly sweet. They went to go check it out. When they did, they were all shocked. Tigress was laughing while Po was knocked out on the floor. Viper thought the worst. "Tigress! What did you do?!"

"I just... Said... His name," she said in between laughs.

Mantis saw Po stir. "He's waking up! He's waking up!" Tigress stopped laughing but the smile never left her face.

Po sat up and asked, "What happened?" He saw that Tigress was smiling at him.

"You fainted after I said your name," Tigress answered. Then she let out a short laugh.

Po's face turned to shock again. "She laughs," he told himself, which everyone heard. Then he fainted again. Tigress stared laughing again. The others joined in.

After that little incident, Po and Tigress became closer. He would often whisper things into her ear at any given moment in which she laughed. He never got tired of her laugh for he thought it was a sign of their friendship. And so did she. She finally opened up to him. They were now Best Friends.


	2. Thunder

Tigress was sitting on the table, reading a scroll while drinking some tea. That's when there was another crack of thunder. Her ear twitched. Sometimes she wished she didn't have such amazing hearing. It made the sound much louder. That's how she knew someone was coming into the kitchen. "I'd like to be alone right now, if you don't mind."

"I don't mind," Po had said, innocently. He started taking out a pot and lighting a fire for the stove. Pumping up some water, he tried to get a mug. This did not turn out too good. While reaching for the mug, he dropped the bowl holding the water and it crashed to the floor.

"Po!" She yelled, slamming her palms on the table. "I am trying to get some quiet. Please stop making so much noise."

"Right," he whispered. "I'll be a bit quieter."

Tigress let out a silent sigh. Another round of thunder. She was going to lose her hearing if this kept up. She didn't want to lose another one of her senses.

She could tell that Po was trying to his best to be quieter, but the lack of other noises made the little ones sound louder. The glass being swept up and thrown away, the water pumping again. And he also kept humming and stopping and humming and stopping. She sighed and gave up. She turned to Po with a forced smile. "So, why are you here, Po?" She knew he was cooking, but it was getting late and they all already had dinner.

"Just making some tea so I can listen to the storm." He answered as he poured hot water into his mug. He added some tea leaves inside of it and started mixing it. He then added a few sugar cubes. Tigress only really took one sugar cube. She didn't like it that sweet. He then came to sit next to her. A few minutes of silence later, he spoke. "So… What are you doing up?"

"I'm just up," she answered. "There's no training tomorrow, so it'll be fine to sleep in."

"I didn't know you slept in." He sounded so surprised she almost laughed. Instead, she smiled.

"It's rare. But when I do, it's just an hour. I'm always awake before you either way." She smiled at him.

He smiled back and then took a sip of his tea, real slow. Smart move, she thought. He took it from his lips a second later. "It's still too hot."

Tigress took a sip of her own tea and realized that it was a bit cold. It was almost to the bottom anyway. "Is it ok if I use the water you boiled?" Po nodded, glaring at his tea, as if it would cool it down. She smiled softly and refilled her drink. When she sat down, there was another crack of thunder. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Po twitched a bit along with her ear. "So what woke you? Was it the storm?"

"Nah." He waved his hand as if to dismiss the idea. "Just a silly dream. That's all."

"About what?"

"Ugh…" She noticed that his eyes roamed the room. They landed on his tea. "I was dreaming about tea."

She didn't believe it for a second. "You were really dreaming about tea?"

"Yeah," he said in a higher voice than normal. "That's why I, uh, came here. To, um, make some." He gave her a fake smile and then lifted his mug to drink his tea. Before it could even reach his lips, Tigress stopped it. He looked at her confused. She gave him a look. "Oh, right." He put the tip of his finger inside. He smiled at her. "It's all good." He then took a gulp.

Tigress sat back in her seat, watching him as he drank his tea. "I used to have weird dreams too. They weren't about food, though."

He looked at her. "Really?" They had been getting along these past few weeks since that laughing incident. But he never would have guessed that it would be this soon that she would let her guard down a bit.

She nodded. "They were crazy little nothings about the palace. But I haven't had them since I was a child. They were usually about the relics in the Hall or some of the things in storage. Some were even about the scrolls."

"What were they about?"

Tigress let out a little, breathy laugh. "The one about the scrolls had Shifu in it. I was walking through the many hallways in the palace and I stumbled upon the kitchen. I forget what, exactly, I was trying to find, but I know it wasn't the kitchen. When I entered the kitchen, I saw a bowl on the table. So I went to go check what was inside of it. The bowl had tiny versions of the Thousand Scrolls. And they were just floating inside some kind of broth. I was about to try some when Shifu came in. He said, "Don't eat my soup! You can try, but you won't be able to."" She smiled. "I thought it was kind of funny. He was so protective of his soup." Of course, a few years later she found out the meaning of the dream. But Po didn't need to know that.

Po laughed. "Sounds like my dad." He took another sip of his tea and almost dropped it when another sound of thunder went off.

"Po," Tigress said when he started cleaning the table. "Are you afraid of thunder?"

He stopped dead in his tracks. He stopped wiping up the spilled tea and sat down, not looking her in the eye. "It's not that I don't like." She waited for more. "It's just, when there's a storm, me and my dad would just go to the basement and play mahjong to wait it out. We were always so focused on the game, I guess we didn't hear the thunder. And now that I'm here, and he's down there, I guess I forgot how loud it was."

Tigress looked at him. He really missed his father. "You know you can visit him whenever you want, right?"

"Yeah, but it's not the same."

"You know…" She started. She took a sip of her tea before she spoke again. "I can never forget how loud a storm is." He looked at her confused. "I have extraordinary hearing. Everything is louder than it should be. I guess that's what I get for meditating every day."

"Wow, poor Shifu," Po said with a look of devastation.

"Why poor Shifu?" She was pretty sure she had been talking about herself a second ago.

"Ya know, his ears."

It took Tigress a second to get what he meant. She then let out a few laughs. "You're right. He hears ten times better than I do. But I think he's used to it in his age."

Po nodded. "Yup, his age." He let out a snicker.

Tigress smiled as she shook her head. "You know. I have a mahjong kit in my room. We could play."

"Really?"

"Sure. I'll go get it now." She stood up to go get it.

As she passed Po, he grabbed her paw. She wasn't aware until she felt a tug on her shoulder. She turned to look at him. "Thanks, Tigress."

She smiled at him. "No problem."


	3. Kung Fu Secrets

**Here is the next chapter inspired by _Secrets of The Furious Five_. I'd also like to thank Netbug for that tea explanation. It was very helpful. I'll use it in the future should I ever need to.**

* * *

"So how did you become part of the Furious Five," Po asked Viper one day during dinner.

Viper was midway putting some noodles in her mouth when he asked. She put her chopsticks down. "I thought you knew."

"I may be your guy's biggest fan, but I don't know everything about you?"

Tigress raised an eyebrow.

"Ok, so I know how, but why?" They all looked at him confused. "You know, why did Oogway choose you guys?"

"Oh, I see. You know my father, don't you?" Po nodded, feeling a story coming along. "Well, he protected our village with his poisoned fangs. But I was born with none. And so he had to protect the village without someone to carry on his legacy. And I saw how sad he was. And I didn't like it when he was sad. So I danced." She smiled and shoved some soup in her mouth. After she swallowed, she went on with her story. "One day, during a moon festival, I must have been nine or so, a gorilla came to village with an armor that even my father's fangs couldn't get through." Po was too busy listening to Viper's story that he didn't notice Tigress leaving. Neither did anyone else. They all wanted to know how Viper came to the Jade Palace. "So I went down there to help him even though I had no clue what I was going to do. I used my ribbon to defeat him. And ever since then, I had been helping my father fight off the bandits. When I was sixteen, Master Oogway invited me to Join Tigress and Crane."

"That's all very cool and all, but why did Oogway choose you?" Po already knew the stories. And they were all very cool. But Po wanted to know what Oogway saw in them.

"He said I was very brave for being able to get over obstacles I feared. That I had courage. And that that was one of the secrets of Kung Fu. I didn't really want to come here, but my father said to go and make my own legacy." She looked at all her friends. "And so I did."

"Secrets of Kung Fu?" Po asked.

"Oh, he gave you that as well, did he?" Crane asked.

"Yes, he did," Viper answered. "Why? Do you have a story to tell?"

"Yes, actually." Po was now all ears for Crane. "Twenty years ago when I was sixteen, way before I came here, I was at the Lee Da Academy."

Mantis and Monkey started muttering things like "cool" or "that's not so bad."

"...As the janitor."

"Oooh," Mantis and Monkey cringed. "Oh, hush," Viper hissed at them. They immediately shut up. Po chuckled at the scene and then urged Crane on with a head nod.

"Anyway, it was all good. But, then, my friend, Mei ling, saw me cleaning one day and thought I was good. She told me that I should try out for the school in a few weeks. And so I thought, if she thought I could do it, then maybe I could. And so I did. I trained for weeks for that day and it came." Po, eyes wide with excitement, grabbed a dumpling and shoved it in his mouth as Crane went on. "The challenge was easy. You were supposed grab a red flag at the other side of the obstacle course. But it was impossible to get to it. No one could get it. All the participants failed. Then Mei ling pointed me out and everyone started laughing about my skinny legs." He brought up a leg to prove his point. "And so, since I worked there as the janitor, they made me start cleaning. I was so embarrassed that I just went along with it. But, somehow, I got into the obstacle and almost got hit until I blocked a spinning warrior. The master told me to walk out slowly. But Mei ling encouraged me with a nod of her head. And I felt something I never felt before. Confidence. And with that, I finished the obstacle without a hitch and was accepted into the school. Four years later, Oogway came to recruit me. Said that I had great confidence, which was also one of the secrets to Kung Fu."

"How old was Tigress," Monkey asked.

"I think she was somewhere around twelve or thirteen."

"Wow. No wonder she was so young when I came. She's been here longer than us."

"What was your secret," Po asked, giddy as ever. He loved hearing this.

"Well, it wasn't so long ago. Maybe twelve years ago. I wasn't a very good man back then. I wasn't a good man back then. I enjoyed seeing people suffer. I would prank everyone all the time and laugh whenever something bad happened to people. I learned that it was because everyone used to laugh at me when I was young and so I treated everyone the way they did me. And finally, the people snapped." He broke a chop-stick to prove his point. "The villagers started sending out for help to get me to leave but none were a match for my pranks. And, finally, that's when a tortoise came. Master Oogway." Po's mouth fell open. "I challenged him and pranked him the best I could. But I could not win. And when I was in a life threatening moment, he saved me. I asked why. And he told me that he could see suffering inside me. He told me that the only way to get over it was to give people what I was denied. Compassion. He said it was one of the secrets of Kung Fu. A year later, he asked me to train at the Jade Palace and I said yes. It was the same day Mantis came in."

"And the day Tigress and I were outnumbered," Viper muttered into her tea.

"Ooh, another story." Po said with delight. He turned to Mantis.

"Aw, come on. I just wanna eat!"

"We told ours, you have to tell yours," Crane said.

Mantis sighed. "Fine, I'll make this quick. It was also twelve years ago. I was the fastest thing you could ever see." To prove his point, he fled across the table and back to his seat in almost two seconds, eating one of Po's dumplings.

"Hey!" Po complained.

Mantis went on with his story. "And since I was so fast, I thought the world was too slow. During a mission, I was trapped. I'm pretty sure the woman who gave me the mission told me something about that but I wanted to get things done quickly, so I left as soon as I could, not waiting to hear her warning. And so I was trapped in a little cage for days and days until, one day, the world seemed to move faster than I ever could. I realized that maybe I was a little too fast. So I came up with a plan that took things slow. I played dead inside the cage until my capturers came to take me out. When they opened the cage, I leaped out and defeated them all. I realized that all I needed was patience in my life. Which was a secret to Kung Fu. And a year later, Oogway invited me to train at the Jade Palace."

"I was twenty when that happened," Viper informed.

"Twenty six," Crane added.

"I was twenty three," Mantis said.

"So was I," Monkey built on.

"And you guys have been the Furious Five for ten years now," Po concluded. "That would mean that Tigress was…" Po did the math in his head. "…Nineteen when the Furious Five was assembled."

They all thought about it. "Yeah," they all concluded in unison. "Is she the youngest of us all," Viper thought aloud.

"I think she is," Mantis answered.

Po turned to Tigress… "Are you the young-"…But she wasn't there. They all stared at her empty chair for a few seconds. "Where'd she go?"

"Let's go check her room," Monkey suggested as they all got up.

"There's no way she's getting out of this," Mantis yelled.

* * *

Tigress sat at the Peach Tree, looking down at the valley. Everyone was rushing to get home for dinner and lights were going out. Soon, the valley would be completely dark. She sighed. Why did Po have to bring things like that up? How was she supposed to explain how she got here without revealing what she really was? She leaned against the Peach Tree, waiting for them to come. They would find her, she knew they would. They wanted her story. She knew she had to tell them someday. She just wished that that day was not today. "What do you want?" She asked once the footsteps stopped behind her. Hopefully they had changed the subject.

Po sat down next to her as the others sat in front of her, blocking her view of the valley. "What secret did Master Oogway teach you?"

Tigress sighed. Hoping was useless. They were all going to know now. "I've been here since I was eight. A good, long twenty one years."

"Wow," they awed under their breaths.

"What did your family think about that," Po asked.

"I didn't have a family. Until here, I was in an orphanage called Bau Gu." She could feel their stares on her. Of course they didn't know any of this. She never told them one thing about this. "And the orphanage wasn't a popular one. So little children got adopted. And I didn't know that the reason was me." She looked down at her hands that were folded on her lap. "I wasn't like the furry bunnies and cute little ducks. I had long, sharp teeth and long, sharp claws. The only thing that wasn't long was my temper. The other kids were scared of me, so were the caretakers. And because of this, so were the grownups who came to adopt." She started messing with one of her nails. "I was a monster to everyone. I even heard my caretaker say it to someone. The next day, someone walked into my room. That someone turned out to be Shifu." They were all looking at her curiously. "I asked if he was afraid. He said he wasn't. I told him he should be, because I was a monster. He told me I wasn't, that I was just a little girl. He then brought out some dominoes. He handed me one, asking if I wanted to play." She let out a small smile. "I remember myself thinking 'why isn't he afraid', 'why isn't he running?' It felt odd having a grownup talk to me as if I were just a mere child. But I took the domino, nonetheless. It broke before I could even grab correctly." She laughed at all the strength she used to have as a child. She had only grown stronger since. "He told me that I needed to control my strength. And he started teaching me how to. He made it a game. The game required discipline, precision, a still hand, and a steady heart. I would try my best, but I still couldn't control my temper. I was lucky that Shifu was very patient." She thought she heard Po snort. "And so the training went on and on, until one day, the dominoes didn't fall." She smiled, remembering that day as if it were yesterday. "The training was done. Discipline was all I needed, a secret to Kung Fu. All the kids thought I was amazing. _I_ thought I was amazing. And then adoption day came. I realized that even though the kids weren't afraid anymore, that didn't mean the parents weren't. I sat there on a bench, all alone, for hours that day. And then a domino was placed in front of my face. I looked up to see Shifu. And he said 'Let us go home.' And we did."

"Oh," they all muttered in sink. Everything made sense now. Even to Po. "Is that why you wanted-"

"Yes, that's why I wanted it," she answered his unfinished question. "He saved me from my reputation, I wanted to save him from his. I wanted him to know that he did this one right. That he didn't fail me like he thought he did with Tai-lung. That this child wouldn't turn out that way. That this child was the right child." She looked Po in the eye. "I think he's starting to realize that." She looked at all her friends. "He's actually been talking to me, taking me places, acting as I used to think a father should."

"Is it nice," Viper asked with a smile.

"It's a bit…odd," she answered, honestly. "It'll take some getting used to, but it's nice having undivided attention for once."

After a small talk of parents, they all decided it was time for sleep. Tigress lagged behind a bit. Po decided to wait for her. "You didn't have to tell us, you know."

Tigress looked at him. "I did, actually. I needed to get it out there or I would never get over it."

"Are you over it?" Po asked.

"No," she answered, honestly. "But don't stop asking, will you? I have a feeling that the answer might change one day." She smiled at him and he smiled back.

"No problem."


	4. A Holiday

She had brought it out from storage. It was that time of year and it was time to start decorating. That's when she bumped into Viper on her hurry to get to her room. "Oh! Tigress! Sorry," she apologized. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

"No, no." Tigress gave her a reassuring smile. "It was my fault. I was just in a hurry."

"Oh!" Viper's eyes widened in curiosity. "What's in the box?"

"Nothing worth mentioning," she replied carefully. "Now, you'll excuse me." She repositioned the box and started walking.

"Happy holiday, Tigress," Viper called after her.

"To you, too," she yelled back.

Tigress made it to her room in a nick of time. She opened the box and smiled. Everything in the box was beautiful, even to this day. She pulled out a pair of colored lanterns. They were purple, green, and blue. She pulled out a few more with a lot more colors. And, finally, at the bottom, was- "Candles," she said aloud. She couldn't decorate her room without candles! She got up hastily to go buy some.

* * *

Down at the valley, she mentally cursed when she heard people screaming for help. Couldn't criminals take a holiday? She was on a schedule here! She started running off towards the screaming. She was already fighting with a boar when the rest of the five came. Then Po came. "Hey guys," he said in his usual cheery voice as he knocked out two boars. "You excited about the winter feast?"

Tigress wished there wasn't a feast. It was a nice feast, but it's what kept her from doing the things she used to. That's why she was in a hurry. She needed to decorate her room before all the preparations started.

"Guess what Master Shifu just told me." He sounded very excited so she tuned in as she fought some more boars. "I'll be joining you this year."

Well, what a surprise! Tigress wasn't sure if would be coming. He was still a bit immature. "The feast is intense," she heard Crane say to him. "All the masters at one table."

"One perfect feast," Viper put in.

"It's an honor to be invited," Mantis said as he kicked a boar towards her. She ducked, as did Po.

"Actually, I'm not just invited." Tigress and Monkey looked at each other, confused. "I'm hosting it," he finished as he kicked a boar away from him.

They all stopped what they were doing. "What?" She asked along with the others.

"Wouldn't be my choice," said the boar he was holding. Po knocked him out with a head bump.

Po turned back to them. "What?"

"The feast at the palace is very…" Monkey started. He noticed that Mantis jumped behind him to kick a boar Viper's way.

"Elegant," Viper finished. "It's a very, uh," she threw the boar Po's way. "Sophisticated event."

"Why does everyone think I can't do sophisticated?" He asked as he finished off the boar in the weirdest way possible.

"I…have no idea," Crane said.

Tigress smiled at her friend. "It's just that we think maybe you could use a little help." It was already too late for her own decorating. Might as well help Po with the dining room.

"Tigress, I got this." He made it sound like no big deal. "It's a dinner. Eating, entertainment. How much do you have to know?"

Oh, he really didn't know? The poor thing.

* * *

Tigress had had her day packed with fittings and rehearsals even though she was sure that her figure hadn't changed since last year and that she had memorized everything she needed to say for the past twenty years. She was so glad when Po had called on them after many hours. She ran out of the room as fast as she could once the pig was done telling her what she would say. She met up with everyone out in the courtyard.

"Guys," Po started. "This may be our greatest challenge ever." Tigress smirked and listened closely. This was going to be fun.

"Bandits," Mantis guessed.

"Raiders," Monkey guessed.

"No…Place settings," Po said seriously. Everyone else groaned as she shook her head and smiled softly.

They were now decorating the dining room. "Tigress!" Po called out to her. "The tahlia leap!"

"On it!" She said, doing said leap to throw up some lanterns. She and the rest of the five were doing everything to make the place look good while Po and that bunny went to go cook. When they were finally done, everything looked great. "Twenty nine place settings," Po announced. "Forty chop-sticks each! We did it! We did it!" He laughed in joy.

"Every detail just right," Crane added. "Even down to the ground Jasmine."

"Ground Jasmine?!" Tigress was confused. Did they miss something? "It was supposed to be flaked!" He grabbed the bowl as he ran. "I'll be right back!"

"Hurry," Viper yelled. "The masters are arriving." And he was gone.

"We should probably hurry up and get ready, too." Tigress said. The others nodded and hurried to their rooms.

* * *

Tigress rushed to her room, ready to see a few common lanterns lighting it up. But when she entered her dark room, she remembered. She didn't have time to decorate it that morning. She sighed and reached for the outfit on her bed. It was made a few hours ago for the feast. The hat was made beforehand. Goodness, she did not like this hat. She got dressed and started walking to the diner.

* * *

The table was perfect. She could hear Master Shifu praising Po on it. She smiled as she remembered her first host. She was only thirteen. That was a lot of responsibility to put on a child. But it was an amazing day. Shifu had actually said he was proud of her. The sound of screeching chairs brought her out of her trance and she stood along with everyone.

Po tried to tell everyone that it was ok, but everyone was already standing. "Ok, anyway…Let me just say something. The Creed of the Masters is amazing. It's like the coolest creed ever. And, uh, you masters, how cool are you guys?" Tigress started to wonder where this was going. "I don't even have to tell you. Master Rhino?" He gestured towards said master. "Forget about it! You're more awesomely skilled and, you know, wrinkly than I'd ever dreamed you'd be. And, uh, Master Sheep." He pointed to him. "Fluffy and incredible." Master Sheep agreed. "Uh, the Five…It's just such an honor to be here with all you guys. My heroes." He looked at everyone. "But every feast my dad and I spend all day cooking together and the whole neighborhood shows up. And it gets really loud and crazy," Po went on. "And my uncle Yang ends up laughing so hard noodles spurt out his nose.

"I'd like to see that," Crane said.

"Me too," Monkey agreed.

"So, uh, I wish I could stay and…be a good host but…" He started taking off the ceremonial cape. "I think I need to leave and…" He placed the cape on the table, next to Shifu. He then looked at Shifu and said, "Be a good son." Po picked something up and walked away as Shifu called after him.

Tigress looked on in amazement. He left the feast. Just like that. She would have never done such a thing. "Ah, I used to love cooking with my sisters," Viper said.

Tigress nodded in agreement. "The folk dances." Tigress started listening in to everyone else talking about what they used to love during the holidays.

That's when Shifu started to freak out. "What about our traditions?! Who will recite the creed?! Somebody do something?!"

Tigress almost laughed when a duck started singing in such a terrible voice.

"Ugh," Shifu groaned.

Viper went on talking. "I remember one time, one of them burned their tail trying to cook some rice."

Tigress let out a small laugh. "I remember when I was younger, I would be pulled into so many dances, I forgot which dance was which and ended up dancing the wrong dance. It was funny, too, but the duckling didn't mind."

"And the decorating," Viper started.

"Oh, yes, the decorating. You have to love decorating. Who doesn't love filling the world with color?"

They went on talking for a few minutes until Shifu came up with a solution. "Tigress, do something," he said to her.

She blinked. He was asking her for help. Well, that was new. She stood up and started clanking her chop-stick against her glass. "Excuse me! Excuse me, everyone!" She waited until they were all quiet. "As the Dragon Warrior could not stay, I, leader of the Furious Five, will be taking his place as Host of the Feast." She heard Shifu sigh in relief. Oh, she was going to regret this, but it had to be done. "And as Host of the Feast, I declare we go down to the village and have ourselves a real holiday!" They all started cheering in agreement. Tigress set her utensils down and started walking out. That was a first. The rest of the masters followed her soon after.

* * *

When they arrived at the restaurant, Po was holding many trays which held some bowls. "Table for five," Viper yelled. Very clever.

Tigress gave acknowledgements to those who said hello as Po yelled, "You guys! Welcome!"

She waited until Monkey took his bowl to get her own. "Happy Holiday, Po," she said as she did so.

A few seconds later, the rest of the masters came in. Tigress looked around the restaurant. People were happy and laughing and were filled with so much joy. It was all so…Perfect. That's when a little piglet came and pulled on her pant leg. "Master Tigwess, Master Tigwess!"

She was immediately consumed by the cuteness. She picked up the darling and tried to feed her. "I'm gonna get you," she said in a soothing voice. The baby opened her mouth once the food was getting closer. After eating the dumpling, she squirmed until Tigress put her down.

The baby ran to her mother and started bragging about it. "Mama, mama! Master Tigwess fed me!"

She couldn't help but smile at the sight. She started looking around at all the other happy people. That's when she heard Po yell, "Hey guys, look who's here!"

She turned, surprised to see Master Shifu. She started heading towards the table the rest of the five were sitting at as everyone greeted Master Shifu. She sat down and smiled with everyone else as the pig drew their picture. "Watch out," she said to Shifu. "It's hot." After that, she went on to eat her own soup as she listened to conversations around her. She wished she could join in, but all she had was that one story. And no one had brought up anything to do with it.

* * *

As the night went on, it seemed as if the crowd was getting larger. Tigress stood at one of the corners of the noodle shop and observed everyone. The rest of the five and Master Shifu had finished their noodles and went to go interact with some of the citizens. Crane and Monkey were trying to make a pig laugh. When noodles came out of his nose, Tigress knew it was uncle Yang. Viper was telling stories to the kids with some of the other masters. Mantis was showing off some of his skills to the elderly. That's when Po came up to her, offering her a bean bun. She took it without complaint. "Thanks, Po."

"How come you're not having any fun?"

"Oh, I'm having fun. Trust me, this is fun." She honestly meant it. Though there was one thing that kept turning her mind sour. But she wasn't going to trouble people with her troubles.

"What's wrong, Tigress. You're not as good as hiding your emotions as you think you are."

Her ears flattened in annoyance and her tail started swinging. "Po, I'm fine."

"I'm not going to leave you alone until you answer," he challenged.

The panda had some guts, she could agree. She shoved the bean bun in her mouth to prevent from answering. He just kept looking at her and it was becoming a bit unnerving. "Fine," she said after she swallowed. She sighed. "You see the lights and decorations, right?"

Po looked around. "Yeah, I see them. What about them?"

"Well, every year, I decorate my room for the holidays. And I was supposed to decorate this morning, but I had no candles and, while out to buy some, those bandits came along and I didn't have time to decorate anymore."

"And you don't like it?"

She shook her head. "It started when I was then being invited to every feast. I would like a bit of a traditional holiday to fall asleep to. But that won't be happening this year. There was no feast this year, and I was able to come out here and have a traditional holiday, but I guess old habits die hard." She looked back at the laughing people.

Po looked at her. She seemed happy and sad at the same time. How that was possible, he wasn't sure. But he knew he had to do something about it. "If you'll excuse me." He started walking away. Tigress nodded her head, barely even acknowledging him.

* * *

Po went called over the rest of the five and Master Shifu and explained it all to them. "And so I was thinking, that you all could go and decorate her room while I stay and distract her."

Viper looked at all the other guys. "I think it sounds like a good plan. That must have been what was in the box this morning."

"Box?" Master Shifu asked. He had never seen Tigress carrying a box.

"Yes, she almost dropped it in a hurry to her room."

"Hm."

"So you guys in?" Po asked.

"How are you going to distract her," Crane asked.

"I heard her say that she likes the folk dances."

Shifu actually let out a laugh for that. Everyone stared at him awkwardly. "Ahem," he coughed, regaining him calm. "I say it's a great idea." They stared at him more awkwardly. "Don't just stare at me! Let's go!"

He was starting to walk out of the kitchen when Po said, "Not through the front. She'll see you. Go through the back."

"Wont she notice that we're gone," Mantis asked.

"She'll be too busy admiring the folk dances," Shifu answered. "Now let us go." And they went.

* * *

"Po gave us the long candles for a reason, Monkey," Viper argued when he insisted on cutting them shorter.

"Oh yeah? What reason?"

"You don't want them to almost out when she gets here, do you?"

He glared at her. "I hate you."

Shifu was taking an ornament out of the box when he had had enough. "Stop it with the childish bickering. You are Masters not child-," he stopped once he got a good look at the ornament in his hand. He couldn't believe she still had this.

"What is it, Master," Crane asked once he heard the hesitation in his voice.

"Nothing, let's just do this."

* * *

Tigress was watching Master Sheep tell the children a story when she heard music start to play outside the restaurant. She followed the sound instantly and, soon enough, she saw the villagers dancing. It had been so long since she had seen it, it was such a beautiful sight. She wondered if she still knew the steps. "Would you care to dance?" A familiar voice said behind her. She turned to see Po.

"I don't remember the steps," she said with a small smile. She knew the steps. Watching the others, they weren't really that hard. But this was for the people. She had no business intruding.

"Oh, come one, they're not that hard. Here, I'll show you."

He grabbed her hands and pulled her into a dance before she could even protest. His dancing was so uncoordinated she had to laugh. "Po, these aren't even the steps."

"It's folk dancing, what steps?"

"Those steps." She gestured her head to the old couple dancing behind them.

"That's for the elderly. Look at the younger people."

Tigress did and the only ones that weren't doing it traditionally were the children. "Po, only the children are dancing crazy."

"Who cares? Just dance for the fun of it." He started dragging her into a twirling dance. And she did.

She soon stopped dancing with Po when one of the children asked her to dance. She was having such a fun time.

* * *

"It's finished," someone said behind him.

Po turned to see Master Shifu. "Oh, really? That quick?"

"She had very few decorations." Shifu realized that each held a significant memory in her heart. One in his too. Shifu looked at his daughter. She was smiling and dancing. He was glad of the villagers giving her this. If she had been trapped in the palace all her life, she would have become coldhearted and angry just like… At least she didn't go on a rampage when she wasn't chosen as Dragon Warrior. She looked very beautiful dancing in the snow.

"Really? I thought she would have had more."

"Nope. I think those were all she needed." He looked around and found that the rest of his students were already joining in on the dancing. Po went not long after. He decided that he would just stay and watch. It was better for him this way. That's when Tigress started walking towards him. She ended up standing next to him "Why aren't you dancing," he asked.

"Not really one to dance, Master. I'm better off just watching."

"Hm. Me too."

* * *

As the night dragged on, less and less people were out. The masters decided that it was time to go and headed back to the Jade Palace after Po said goodbye to his dad.

Master Shifu headed to his room as Po and the Five went to the barracks, talking about how much fun they had. Tigress walked ahead as she listened in and almost didn't notice the lights in her room. "What are tho-," she said turning around. But everyone was already in their room.

She went inside her room and gasped. Her lanterns were hanged and glowing beautifully. There was the red one she had gotten on her first mission, a reward from the lady she was helping. There was the green one that Master Oogway had given her on her first holiday here. There was an orange one that she would rather not talk about, but it was there and she loved it. There was the purple one said to be left behind by her parents. She wasn't sure if it was true, but she loved it nonetheless. And the final one that made her heart beat five times faster everyone time she saw it. A golden lantern. Her sun lantern. The first lantern she ever made. And painted on it were her and Master Shifu.

She fell asleep that night with a smile on her face.


End file.
